moving forward in a straight line, and when passing corners to the left and right or when the car is in a drift. In addition, the braking effort on the rear wheels should not be too high, and engine torque should not be too low. If the rear wheels will be locked, the engine will stall.
Requirements for successful exit from a drift on a rear-wheel-drive car with help of “throttle+brake” technique
• both front wheels must lock when the car is in a drift;
• the rear wheels must not be locked;
• skid of rear loaded wheel should not occur;
• differential friction should not be too high;
• drift angle should not be greater, than about 45 degrees.
The last two requirements are very conditional. Performing of the technique may differ on different machines, so you need to perform concrete tests. It is not difficult to test “throttle+brake” technique: you just need to provoke a drift and press the throttle and brake pedals.
It was not said, but was obvious, that to perform the above-listed techniques an anti-lock system should not be installed on car, which prevents the wheels from locking by the brake system. In the presence of an anti-lock system it is impossible to perform defensive “throttle+brake” technique on a rear-wheel-drive car.
Recommendations for driving a car in a drift
• while driving car in a drift, your hands should be relaxed, you do not need to hold the steering wheel with a death grip;
• while drift turn your head and direct your gaze along the direction of movement of car, keep the hood in the background, so you will definitely feel angle of drift;
• when fighting with a deep drift direct your gaze forward, through the windshield – this will help you maintain your orientation in space.
Notes on performing of “throttle+brake” defensive technique on a rear-wheel-drive car
• during perform the technique you should to straighten the front wheels or turn them by the steering wheel in the direction, in which you want to continue move at the end of the technique;
• if the engine torque is quite high and the rear wheels start to skid when performing the technique, you need to limit effort on the throttle pedal: the traction on the rear axle is only needed to unload the front;
• the duration of the technique is controlled according to trajectory of movement.
Exercise 1. Work out the skills of getting out from drift with help of steering. Actions will vary depending on the type of drive: on front-wheel-drive type it is necessary to increase the traction and to turn the steer against direction of drift, on rear-wheel-drive – you need to let go of the throttle pedal, press the clutch pedal and direct the front wheels in the direction of motion (you should to rotate the steer against the direction of drift until desired position of the front wheels).
Be careful! When exiting a drift on a rear-wheel-drive car there should not be a long pause after turning the steer against direction of drift. Otherwise there may be a response from the car, and there will be a rhythmic drift. As soon as drift has started to stop, you need to immediately return the steer to the “straight” position.
Exercise 2. Create oversteer on a front-wheel-drive car at the entrance to a long corner (arc) with help of “throttle+brake” technique. Repeating the training, try to gradually increase speed of entering the corner.
Exercise 3. On a rear-wheel-drive car, press the throttle pedal at the exit of a corner, to trigger drift. Without releasing the throttle pedal, sharply hit the brake pedal with your left foot, to eliminate the drift. After stopping drifting release the pedals and restore trajectory by the steer motions. Repeating the exercise, determine angle of drift, more than which the technique “throttle+brake” does not work. Limit effort on the throttle pedal if there is a skid of rear loaded wheel and efficiency of “throttle+brake” technique decreases.
Remember that on a front-wheel-drive car one time pressed the throttle and brake pedals increases steerability, while on a rear-wheel-drive car – they decrease it. If this is the first time when you are perform the technique, limit speed and provide braking distance enough in all possible directions.
Exercise 4. On rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive cars, prepared for drift, the exercises “ring”, “eight” and the passage of a hairpin with drift of the rear axle will be useful. Rings should be selected in different diameters to work out different speed modes.
We press the throttle pedal with pulses, as if groping for optimal traction, and at the same time we steer. Our goal will be a stable retention of trajectory radius and minimal fluctuations in drift angle.
Exercise 5. Go through a 180-degree turn (hairpin) with the rear axle drifting. At entrance to the corner provoke drift by rocking, handbraking or including a low gear.
At exit of the corner maintain drift by alternately pressings the throttle pedal. Try to get maximum acceleration at exit of the hairpin.
Exercise 6. Another useful exercise for training driving a car in a drift is the “eight”. In the middle of the eight we perform the so-called reversal: we accelerate car, then release the throttle pedal and rotate the steering wheel in the opposite direction when moving to the next half of the eight.
If there is feedback on the steer it should start to rotate itself against the direction of drift. The feedback force depends on the castor in a car and settings of the feedback force in a car simulator.
Exercise 7. Try to cause the front axle to drift while reverse moving by sharply turn of the steer. Do not forget to squeeze the clutch, so that the engine does not stall during skidding.
Practical advices for a driver
1. Use light footwear with soft, non-thick, flat soles for driving. Rightly chose footwear will help you feel the pedals better. In any case do not drive a car in “flip-flops”, slippers or shoes with a long heel, this can lead to an accident situation. If footwear has a heel, it should not be long. Shoelaces are also dangerous. Scarves, ties, long sleeves, hair, and wired headphones can also interfere for driving.
2. Wear gloves while driving. In gloves with a rubberized palm (so-called “dipped” gloves) or leather gloves hands cling better to the steering wheel and the gear lever, and hand tires less during driving. If you are a novice racer, you may get « dipped” gloves for training, which you can buy at any building supplies store.
3. Place your hands on the steering wheel at 9 and 15 o’clock or 10 and 14 o’clock (according to the clock face). In these positions you can comfortably rotate the steering wheel within about 200 degrees. If you need to turn the steering wheel at a greater angle – continue rotation of the steer with change of hands
